NEW SCHOOLBOOK SCHEME.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 July 1923, Page 4

NEW SCHOOLBOOK SCHEME.

WELLINGTON. July 23. The expense incurred by parents in the purchase of school books, and tile probability of existing expenditure being considerably increased, induced Air Wilford and Air Voitch to give notice of a number r.f questions to the HOll. C. .J. Farr. .Minister ol Education, in the House to-night.

Air Wilford asked Air Farr to look into the whole subject, including the suggested new system, which appeared likelv to cause needless expense.

Air \'i inTi. in putting a similar ques- j lion, suggested that parent- should be given 1 ea-011.11.11e time before the new | .scheme was brought into use. He al.ro waiitt'l to knew whether any particular firm was to get a monopoly in the ,-r.pply of school books. The Hon. C. J. Farr said he desired to remove some apprehension apparently existing in eousequente of an inaccurate newspaper uiti.de. School books at present in use would e'-iunit.e in use till the end of the year. Next, year’s books would be selected from the lies authorised list only, theiefore the suggestion that added expense was to be put on the shoulders of ] areuts was inaccurate. The result of pure.iasiug S'Tm.d books fr.mt Die au-thori.-ed list next year would be to cheapen the cost to parents and net imrei.-e it. It was with that object in view ih.it the new regulation was made. The Department was endeavouring to siandaidisc Schorl books in primary and ndarv school-;, li v. • - found

last, year that in secondary sebm |.- there were -eventy-one different textbooks u.-ed for Latin, some eighty for French, and he had lorgoiteii how many for English. The re-tilt was that a large stock of these hooks had to i;e kept. There was so little Remand made for some of them that tlie cost of these books was very high, and parents had to hear it. '"We have accomplished the work of standardisation of books in secondary schools without complaint,” continued the Aliuisler. “and we are attempting standardisation of banks in primary school-. Ti is nut eorrcel to say that the new li-t is a list, of new bonks not ill u-e. The English, geography, and arithmetic books are in use 1 e-day in cvciy educational district in New Zealand, wbi'e the history and i opy-hnnks generally are very generally in use. T!,e-e boo'.' me Hie cheapest of all the lexi-bcoh: obtainable. Olliers in u-e are den re:, and, ill the o; ininn of I lie De.crtmeiit. not so goad." The aid l.nrised las., conclude 1 Mr Farr, bad leen In'tore in--peelo-r- 1 hrougln-ul New Zeainal. and te-el.'e’rs. through the medium of the in-titute. and both agreed that the li-t was the best obtainable, b ill wi:!i ivgerd r merit of the work and elieap-ne-s. lie ihnnglii lbe only complaintwen- from certain bo: k eiler-. who a;jalenll;. bn! ("list: ruble slock-: and were anxious t-> quit them. Me waprepared to meet tli.on in a i or-onable wav regarding the mailer.